WHAT:

Unions and supporters will stage a flash protest against the Government’s "Fire-at-Will" Bill (the Employment Relations Amendment Bill) outside the electorate office of ACT Party Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden in Auckland tomorrow at 11am.

Workers First Union says that with unemployment hitting a ten-year high as of today, the Bill will make things even worse.

WHEN:

Thursday 5 February, 11am-12pm

WHERE:

Outside the office of Brooke van Velden, 35 Saint Johns Road, St Johns, Auckland

WHY:

Dennis Maga, Workers First General Secretary, said the Employment Relations Amendment Bill was the most damaging attack on workers’ rights in decades, and every worker in the country should be alarmed.

"If this Bill passes, your boss could unilaterally decide what serious misconduct means, refuse compensation even when the process is unfair, and push permanent workers out of unions and into contracting arrangements," said Mr Maga. "The rights won over generations could disappear before Christmas."

"If it doesn’t affect you today, it will tomorrow. Under this ‘Fire-at-Will’ Bill, employers can restructure your business with a phony ‘consultation’ process, make permanent workers redundant and rehire you as contractors."

"Employers could simply write contracts saying a person is not an employee, and deny them a minimum wage, sick and annual leave, and public holidays."

With Stats NZ confirming today that the unemployment rate has reached a ten-year high, Mr Maga said it was the wrong time to push permanent workers into casualised employment and redundancy.

"The Government has no plan and we’re now sleepwalking into oblivion. They’ve ‘outsourced’ employment relations to the zealots of the ACT Party, and New Zealanders will be the ones who pay for it with our jobs and our rights," said Mr Maga.

"Join us to protest the ACT Party’s obsession with a US-style ‘fire-at-will’ culture and show the Government that working people will stand up and fight back against attempts to take away our rights."

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